Children
will need appointments to receive immunizations at Houston Department
of Health and Human Services’ (HDHHS) health centers starting
March 1.

Only parents of children age 3 and younger will have the option
of making appointments or continuing immunizations on a walk-in
basis. Parents can schedule immunization appointments by calling
HDHHS at 713-794-9999.

Babies and infants make up the main target of HDHHS’ immunization
efforts since children need to receive 80 percent of the vaccinations
they will need in their lifetime by age 2. Children are most
susceptible to contagious and deadly diseases from birth to
2 years of age because they have yet to develop the antibodies
necessary to fight off diseases.

To concentrate timely immunizations for children age 3 and under,
HDHHS will no longer conduct August back-to-school immunization
clinics at local shopping malls. More than 80 percent of those
vaccinated at the malls were older children and adolescents,
trimming down the number of immunization slots for those 3 and
younger.

HDHHS urges parents not to wait until the start of school to
vaccinate their children, whether they obtain immunizations
at the city health centers or from private medical providers.
Parents who keep their children up to date with immunizations
are less likely to encounter appointment delays or long lines
at the end of summer.
HDHHS offers vaccines on a sliding scale basis to those who
have no other source of medical care. The vaccines are free
for some clients while others pay $5 or $15.